Belt-tightener for grain-carriers.



No. 658,080. Patented Sept. l8, moo.

C. COLAHAN.

BELT TIGHTENER FOR GRAIN CARRIERS. (Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES coLAHAN, OFAKRON, OHIO.

BELT-TIG HTEN ER FOR GRAIN-CARRIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No.;$ 5 8,080, dated September 18, 1900.

Application filed February 28, 1900- Serial Ila 63%| v model.) I

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES OOLAHAN, 'a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Akron, county of Summit, andState of Ohio,

as a consequence it will permit the elongation or stretching of the apron so much that it will become loose on the rollers, and unless tightened by some means the function of the roller is lost, as it will run in loose contact with the apron, and the rollermus't be tight-' ened immediately or the harvester will be clogged up with the incoming grain, and also it is often the case that the grain is damp, which has a similar effect, and when the sun dries the apron it is liable to be loose on the roller and requires tightening. Thus it will be seen when the harvester is in operation it is important that convenient and effective means should be available to secure the uninterrupted carrying forward of the grain, and in order to accomplish this purpose the carrier-roller should be equally and simultaneously adjusted at each journal-bearing at the ends of the roller. held in equilibrium by means of their connection with the adj usting-lever, as shown in my Patent No. 285,464, dated September 25, 1883, of which my present invention is an improvement, and consists in a novel organization of mechanism and the combination of parts, as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a plan View. Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the adj usting-lever and its pawl and ratchet operating in connection 'with the segmental actuating-teeth and their pivotal connection with their supporting bar between the aprons. Fig. 3 is a rear sectional view showing the These hearings are spring-link that is secured parallel with the. harvester-frame on which are the ratchetteeth, with which the lever maybe held when the spring-link is disconnected therefrom or against the stress of the spring if it is attached when it is desired to loosen the canvas. Figs. 4- and 5 are sectional views on lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1

As shown in the drawings, A A represent the teeth on the adjustable roller-supporting arms a. a, secured at each side to the main frame B by the holding-brackets b b.

C is the apron-roller, and D D the apron.

b is the apron-supporting ledge, secured to the harvester-frame along the entire length of each under side of the upper apron to prevent its sagging down when carrying the grain.

' B is the adjusting-leverrsupporting bar between the apron, secured to the inner sides of the harvester-frame ateach side thereof.

A is the front toothed adjusting-segment.

A is the connecting-rod; A the rear toothed segment; A its lever-holding ratchet-teeth;

A the adjusting-lever, pivoted at of; A the lever-locking pawl; B the detachable spring holding link, secured to and parallel with the harvester-frame at 0, and provided with an adjustable spring a and being connected with the lever at a will imparta constant elastic pressure to the apron-roller. b is the open guideway at'the rear of the harvesterplatform for the lever; A the lockingratchet to hold the lever, as hereinafter stated; A an adjustable registering nut; a the pivot of the segment-adjusting rack A;

19 the bottom'of the harvester-platform.

In operation it willbe clearly seen that this mechanism securesthe facility of quickly adjusting the apron-carrier roller to move it inwardly or outwardly and secure it at any desired point of adjustment, and also the means of securing it elastically to any point at which it may be placed or by detaching the spring it maybe secured in a rigid position at any desired point, which is oftencrequired when the sun is hot and the grain is dry and heavy, and at times the harvestercarrier-apron-roller j ournal-bearings may become more loose and worn in one journal IOO than the other, and it may be desirable to advance or withdraw one end of the roller, so that both ends of the roller may be lined up or registered equidistant with the corresponding fixed roller at the other end of the apron. This is done by loosening the adj usting-nut and moving the segment in its tooth connection with the rack, the segment that is moved being lifted from its pivot, and when replaced in its new relation to the rack-teeth, the other segment remaining unchanged, the adjusting-n ut is caused to lengthen orshorten the connecting-rod A as may be required to maintain the segments in their new relalion to each other and the rack-teeth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the carrier-roller O, the adjusting supporting-racks a a, the segment-gear A, the connectingnd A and segmental gear A the adjusting-lever A its pawl A, and the ratchet-holding teeth A pivoted at a substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the adjusting rollersupporting racks to a, the segment-gear A, A connecting-rod A", the pawl operating in connection with the ratchet-holding teeth A of the segment-gear A the lever A and the spring link connection B operating substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the adjusting rollersupporting racks a, a, the segmental gears A, A connecting-rod A, the ratchet-holding teeth A secured on the rear segment A, with the lever A its pawl A and the lever; holding teeth A on the rear of main platformframeB,substantially as shown and described.

4:. The combination of the gear-racks aand the carrier-roll C with the adjustin g-segments A A and the connecting-rod A and adjusting-nut A as a means of retaining the segment in any position of independent adjustment with the toothed rack as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination of the roller-supporting adjustable arms a a, the segment A, connecting-rod A segment A and adjustinglever A operating substantially as shown and described.

6. The roller-supporting adjustable arms eta, the segment A, connecting-rod A segment A, and adjusting-leverA in c0mbination with the spring link connection B substantially as shown and described.

CHAS. COLAHAN.

WVitnesses:

M. H. COLAHAN, A. V. WAGONER. 

